A Feminist Movement Without Marches:
Empowering our Movement by Electing Feminist Candidates
By Daisy Gonzales, SBWPC Vice President, Policy
Recent visits from Gloria Steinem and Kate Karpilow promoted the need for a movement with a clear agenda. How do we march forward to materialize gender equality? The SBWPC has an agenda—to change the face of elected office at all levels of government. Our vision and mission empowers the feminist movement.
Feminist social movements in the twentieth century necessitated that women take to the streets and march for equality. Your membership, attendance at events and support for our endorsed candidates is central to today’s feminist agenda. Our movement today is primarily carried out at the individual level and through moments of resistance where we march metaphorically into unprecedented spaces and insist on access and representation. As a women’s political committee, our feminist movement is about changing the way we think about gender equality by changing the chambers of policymaking.
Gloria Steinem urged us to believe that the feminist movement is not over yet. In fact, her talk here in Santa Barbara on February 13 was titled “The Longest Revolution.” I would agree. Our daily resistance to the status quo and public support of a feminist agenda affirms that our movement is alive! Her visit confirmed that women are not yet equal, even in our own community. Women in Santa Barbara County: disproportionately live in poverty, are unemployed in a higher percentage than men, earn less than men, and represent less than 1/3 of Santa Barbara County elected officials (Orfalea Foundation 2014). Steinem gave us the energy to continue fighting, but left us with little direction as we march ahead.
Almost four years since the end of the worst recession in California’s history, the impact of the deepest economic downturn is still severely felt among women—especially low-income women—and their families. The SBWPC President’s Circle Luncheon speaker, Kate Karpilow, the Executive Director of the California Center for Research on Women and Families, presented us with a plan. Her seven-step plan to “Build a Stronger Women’s Movement” evolved into a ten step plan by March 7th at the Montecito Country Club. Karpilow’s plan includes: (1) collaborating with other disenfranchised populations, (2) developing a California women’s agenda, (3) securing more funding for programs that affect women, (4) consolidating women’s organizations, (5) holding elected officials accountable, (6) a focus on policy implementation, (7) greater focus on workplace policies, (8) engaging more young women, (9) engaging more men, and (10) using a gender lens to analyze everything. Ms. Karpilow highlighted many of the factors encompassed in our mission.
The SBWPC believes that a key entry point to completing this work is in supporting and electing feminist candidates at all levels of elected office. Our clear agenda allows us to march forward with a purpose. In the first three months of 2014, the SBWPC:
• expanded collaboration efforts to local and statewide coalitions;
• continued to track and support legislation that advances women in the workplace and a life without violence, via letters of support and meetings with legislators;
• continued to identify and support feminist candidates; and
• formalized a process to offer internship opportunities for young women year-round.
Our feminist political agenda invests in access, economic opportunity and security for women and their families. We are a part of a movement that sends elected officials to march for us. We are fighting everyday, they are fighting everyday and we are ready for the longest revolution.
